Review #19 - Upton Tea Natural Bergamot Earl Grey (Loose)

A while back I bought nearly every Earl Grey sample Upton sold. I reviewed some but after a few I decided to put that company aside for a while so as not to appear biased in any way. Then again I paid for the samples so maybe I'm just being paranoid. So lets return to the Tea House that's technically located in my backyard (State of MA in the US) and review another Earl Grey. 


Aroma

Upon tearing open their foil sample bag I was met not with fresh Bergamot but by something else.  So I
stepped back and asked my wife to take a whiff. She gave me a strange look which made me feel better. So I attempted a second aroma test. Yes there is a Bergamot type smell but it was off. It wasn't a clean citrus smell at all. It was bordering on artificial and to be honest with you, that's the theme for this entire review.

Why does my Natural Earl Grey tea smell ...artificial?

So off to the Upton site I went and got this info:

Description:
   A whole leaf Chinese OP leaf flavored with natural bergamot oil to create a flavorful Earl Grey tea.
Ingredients:
   black tea, natural flavor
Origin:
   Germany 

Without sounding like a broken record ( I know I know, too late) the word natural just doesn't carry the same weight it once did. At one point when you labelled something natural it had a certain "cache" to it. It meant something. For me it meant real food. But as we learn every day the word natural has more of a "at one point we started with something natural as our base but then our chemists got a hold of it and ..." and I think you can guess the rest. So to end this section, not a good start.

Brewing Method

From a reviewers perspective you gotta love teas that know what they want when it comes to steeping. This tea is a perfect example. Again from the Upton site:

Steeping Suggestions: -
Leaf Quantity: 2¼ g/cup
Water Temp: 212° (boiling)
Steep Time: 4 min.

  It just makes my job that much easier and this section much shorter. Moving on.

The Results

Having dutifully followed their steeping instructions I took my first sip. My reaction was mixed but some Earl Grey teas need to cool a bit before their full flavor can be enjoyed. Instead I got to taste that slightly "Off" aroma in addition to smelling it again. Which made me ask another question related to the review's theme:

Why does my natural Earl Grey Tea smell and taste artificial?

Immediately I thought I had done something wrong so I emptied the pot and glass and proceeded to
clean everything. I let everything dry and later in the day attempted a second tasting. Nothing changed, that "Just Off" flavor and aroma were there and I will admit, it was bugging me. On one hand you had a decent tea with a nice Earl Grey flavor but on the other hand, you had this thing, this artificial flavor thing in the way. So I let the tea cool to give it the fairest review possible.

The results weren't good because the "Thing" was even more pronounced as the tea cooled. The remote flavor of good Earl Grey was quickly being pushed aside by this after taste. In the end, I didn't even finish the pot.

Re-Steeping?

In all honesty I was not looking forward to this phase of my review. Thankfully the "flavor thing" actually subsided a bit so it wasn't as bad as I feared but the Earl Grey flavor was very, very thin so I wouldn't recommend re-steeping at all.

Final Thoughts

Maybe I got a bad batch. Maybe it got exposed to air during the shipping to my house. Or maybe, just maybe the natural flavoring used in this tea is what I'm both smelling and tasting. If so I cannot suggest this tea to anyone. I wish I could say or do more to investigate but unless I can replace my current sample bag with another my current review stands.

Review #18 - Tea Forte' - Earl Grey (Bagged)

It was two reviews back when I finalized my first rule, ok ok, theory. Allow me to quote myself for those of you who missed it:

EGA's First Theory of Tea Bags : The flavor of bagged tea is inversely proportional to the quality of artwork on the tea bags.

With this weeks review returning to bagged teas I would have my first real test of my Theory.  For those of you who follow such things, you can't just jump to creating laws. No, you need to create a theory and allow it to stand the test of intense scrutiny over long periods of time. We here at EGA are all the about the scientific method so lets get right to the review.

Aroma

The box came sealed in plastic wrap so any attempts on my part to pick up a stray whiff were not going to happen. There would be no cheating with this tea. The box was plastic wrapped and each tea bag had it's own foil bag. It should be noted, the tea bags used by Tea Forte' are biodegradable which makes clean up a breeze; just drop into your nearest compost bin or pile. Also of note, no staples. But then again most organic teas, which this one is, tend to avoid the dreaded staple but I like to point it out just to make sure. Back to the aroma. Like I said, there was no cheating until I actually opened one of the foil bags. That's when I got my first real whiff of ...oranges?? Yes it caught me off guard as well. So I grabbed the box and did some reading. Sure enough, listed below the Organic Black tea and bergamot was orange flavor.  So I went back an attempted a second test. This time expecting the orange to first overwhelm but hoping to pick up other things. To be honest, the aroma wasn't the strongest in the tea world but we've been here before. Not all teas present themselves properly in the aroma test. As for the bag, things were not looking good at all. The bags looked great because they mimicked the photo from the box. 

Before we move on, the box does give away a bit more info about this tea. First they come right out and say the tea is hand picked and from the Northeastern part of India's Assam region. Then if you read their little story it hints about an area of Italy for the bergamot. I think by now we can all guess where that is.

Brewing Method

To put it bluntly, this tea was going to make me work for my review.

Infuse tea in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.

 That meant I was going to taste this tea at the 3, 4, and 5 minute mark in addition to my torture test. That being when I just leave the bag in the cup.

The Results

I started with 3 minutes and found very little tea flavor. It was there but very lite. I also noticed the orange aroma had been replaced by the bergamot. Neat trick. I moved on to the 4 minute mark and found the tea tasting a bit better but still not where I have come to expect Earl Grey. To be fair I let the tea cool and sure enough the bergamot really started to come to the forefront but it had no depth. Yes it tasted like Earl Grey but that was all. There was no complexity at all. With high hopes I forged onto the 5 minute mark. Sadly the tea really didn't present any additional flavor even with the extra minute of steeping. Determined to uncover something I missed I started my torture test. At 6 minutes the tea was burnt and any hopes of extracting more flavor out of this bag ended there.

The box states this tea is fulled bodied and when you see the color you would probably agree but when you actually taste it, the flavor falls short. It was starting to look like my First Theory of Tea Bags was going to pass its first test. No one can deny this was Earl Grey tea but as we have seen before, just because you have Earl Grey flavor on the surface doesn't mean it can't be better. All teas should be at least somewhat complex and provide different flavors at different cooling temps. This tea tasted the best about 1min after removing the bag but that was it. No complexity, no cooling sweetness, just ordinary tea.

Re-Steeping

Don't do it. The first steep is very thin to begin with so any chance of a full bodied second is asking alot. In this case, too much. Like I said, don't do it.

Final Thoughts

I kinda feel bad because Tea Forte' appears to have the right idea about tea and packaging. There are no staples, the tea is organic, the bags are biodegradable and the outside box is made from 100% recycled paper. Unfortunately this is just an average tea at best. Yes it tastes like Earl Grey but the overall flavor is very thin and has no complexity at all. I wouldn't say avoid it, but I'd probably suggest something else.

Review #17 - Rishi Tea Earl Grey (Loose)

I honestly have no idea where to begin this review. Seriously there are so many things I want to touch on, and wish not to forget any of them, that I find myself not being able to start this review. So lets list all the things that are going to be covered:
1. Aroma
2. Color
3. Flavor
4. The Tea
5. The Tea bag
6. It's location
7. Who picked it
8. The steeping time
9. The re-steeping time
10. Tea Description
11. Flame Wars

But wait a minute.... don't you always cover those topics? Yes but I've never seen so much information, really usable information listed on a tea box that each of it must be touched upon. So lets begin.

Aroma 

As you can see from the picture the box is nicely decorated and at first glance doesn't appear to be any different from most other boxes. But once you open it you'll quickly realize both the box and the bag holding the tea is not some after thought. On the contrary both the box and bag inside serve a purpose. Since this section covers the aroma of the tea lets start with the bag. Once you get the box open, you will be hard pressed to pick up any form of aroma. The reason for this is quickly apparent when you see the foil bag. But this bag has a simple but effective secret. When I turned the bag around it had a piece of tape on it. As you can see in the picture, the tape is used to reseal the bag so the tea doesn't go "stale" on you. For people trying loose tea this is excellent information and a simple but effective aid in keeping their tea tasting fresh. After opening up the bag I tried out the piece of tape to see if it actually worked and I'm happy to report it does quite well. How many time you can re-apply it before the adhesive wears out is unknown but so far, this is the only company providing this simple feature.

As for the aroma I would say controlled and subtle. The aroma is definitely not overpowering but you do get a very nice clean fruit smell. This is not an artificial aroma at all which is great. As with other, this tea is firmly entrenched in the balanced category. You can pick out the tea and you can enjoy the Bergamot without having to really take a deep breath. Which brings me to what is actually in this tea and some of the great info on the box. Not only does the box tell you where the tea originated from but also the elevation it grows at, who the cultivator is and if that wasn't enough, the box even lists the harvest season. What an incredible resource. 

Tea Origin - Yunnan, China
Elevation - 1,500-1,600m
Cultivar - Mengku & Menghai Yunnan Broad Leaf
Harvest Season - May - September

Then I went to the Rishi Website and found even more information:

Our bestselling Organic Earl Grey blends bold-flavored Yunnan Dian Hong harvested from antique tea trees with natural Bergamot citrus from Southern Italy.

If I was a betting man I would place a handsome wager the southern area they are talking about would be none other then EGA's new favorite region in Italy: Calabria. (If someone from Rishi happens to read this review and knows if my wager is right please let me know and I will update this review) So, we have a nice fresh aroma, we know almost everything there is to know about this tea, and a way to preserve the tea itself. Talk about getting high marks before any tea is ever sampled.

Brewing Method

Again Rishi nails it with it's perfectly spelled out "Brewing Guide":

1tbsp / 8oz                    H2O 212F/100C

For the time being I'm going to refrain from quoting directly from the box because it will give away one of the secrets to this tea. I'll just add that they suggest a 4min steep time. As with all of my reviews I always try a little high and a little low. In this case 3 and 5 minutes.

The Results

What a wonderful tea. At 4 mins this tea is almost ready to drink after steeping and only needs about 1min to allow all the flavors to mix in your glass, while it cools to reach it's peak. The person who mixed this tea was definitely going for a subdued flavor but in a good way. Some teas are thin and have very little flavor beyond the surface. This tea is lighter but still complex. When it cools some of the sweetness rises to the top of the flavor spectrum and that's when the bergamot really comes through. But as stated before it still doesn't over power the tea itself. To use my wine comparison, this tea is a white wine while others are Red. Red being Merlot and full of flavor while White tends to be lighter but good in its own right.

The Rishi website describes it in this way:

Tasting Notes: Bold and sweetly smooth with an enlivening aroma of bergamot citrus

I think smooth is the perfect way to describe this tea. It's there but more controlled and blended quite well. So where or when does the Holy War kick in? I'm happy to report this is one of those teas people will state is their favorite and for good reason. Others will point to other Earl Greys and say that's the best. Just like the age old war between Ford and Chevy owners, or Iphone and Android users, and of course Designated Hitters or not, people will argue and defend this as their tea. And that's a very good thing because this is a very good tea.

I also tried this tea at both 3 and 5 minutes and found the 3mins rather lacking. 5 was very good in a weird kind of way because I didn't gain much more flavor beyond the 4minute mark. It's almost as if the tea has a built in timer that only runs for 4minutes then shuts off any additional steeping. Which brings us to our next section.

Re-Steeping

I've been drinking Earl Grey for many years and I have never seen the following statement on any box or loose brand ever.

1st infusion 4min / 2nd 5 min

Yes I've seen things like, "ok to re-steep" or "can be re-steeped" but never such a bold statement of "Yes, not only can you re-steep this tea but to obtain another good cup of tea steep for 5minutes." Serious, this is one bold statement and I'm happy to report, it can be re-steeped. Will it equal the 1st? No, but it still gives you a good cup of Earl Grey. I'd say you get about 70% flavor return on the second steep which makes this tea an excellent value. The box lists 27 infusions but if you can double that what a deal this tea becomes. To prove my point, this time I took the picture after the 2nd steep to show just how dark this tea still was.

Final Thoughts

This tea is USDA organic, Fair Trade Certified, Kosher, has the ability to handle 2 steeps, has a nice color with a natural/real aroma that is worth taking a few extra moments to enjoy. Some will say this is the best Earl Grey ever. Others will declare their variety as number one. In the end it won't matter because just being part of that conversation tells you how good this tea really is. Do yourself a favor and try it for yourself.

Review #16 - Stash Earl Grey (Bagged)

This weeks review occurred because I needed some food before a class I was taking. The class occurred after work and was located about 30mins from my place of employment. That meant I needed something to eat which lead me to a supermarket not found in my area. My little voice said I should check out their tea section just in case and that's when I found they carried Stash Tea. I've had Stash tea a few times while visiting others, but it was always Organic Green never Earl Grey. So I grabbed a box, on sale no less, and placed it into my reviewing cue. Well the class is over, and it's Stash's turn to be reviewed. How did it fair? Time to find out. 

Aroma

I tried to get a cheating whiff from the box but it's wrappings were very well done and I couldn't detect any tea aroma. After removing the plastic wrap I was expecting to be greeted with my first bergamot flavors. Instead I got nothing. That's when I looked inside and realized each tea bag was contained within it's own  sealed wrapper. (As aside, I may have created my first Law of Tea Bags with respect to boxes and wrapper adornment but I'll cover that in the Final Thoughts section.)  So I ripped one open and was met with Oranges. Seriously, if you have ever visited an orange orchard that's exactly what this tea smells like. It was full of fresh citrus aroma that didn't stop. You could also pick up some tea notes but you really had to pay attention to pick them up. From memory this has to be the most citrus filled, orange filled aroma I've ever come across. Wondering how they got that wonderful aroma into the tea I flipped the box around and found my previous geography lesson would not be wasted. 

For out version, we blend premium quality Ceylon, Assam and Yunnan black teas with 100% bergamot oil from Calabria, Italy for a lively, distinctive flavor and lavender-like bouquet. Smooth and aromatic with a hit of light citrus, excellent as afternoon or after dinner tea. 

That's right our new favorite region in Italy Calabria was again mentioned.  Since we're on the subject I'll let Wikipedia add the next part:

The Bergamot orange is intensively cultivated, since 18th century,^[30] exclusively in coastal area nearby to Reggio, where it found its optimal geological and weather conditions: essence oil from Calabrian Bergamot reach the best quality in the world.

Whether you believe everything on Wiki or not is up to you, but results don't lie. This tea has an excellent and citrus aroma, period. It should also be noted that Stash didn't use staples anywhere so bravo to that.

Brewing Method

We jump back from the internet and look back to the box to see what Stash suggests for it's steeping time(s).

To savor the full flavor of our teas, bring fresh water to a rolling boil. Pour hot water directly over the tea bag in a pre-heated pot or cup. Brew 3-5 minutes or to desired taste.  

As typical for all of my bagged tea reviews we closely follow their instructions AND do a bit of stress testing. This review had me sample the tea at 3, 4 and 5 minutes. I also went beyond, hitting the 6 and 7 minute marks. So how did this tea fair? Keep reading.

The Results

When I first started this blog I made a point not to differentiate between bagged and loose. I stated my reasons for doing so and have stuck by my guns since then. Well today I was repaid. This tea (bagged) is better then last week's tea (loose). The flavor is more complex, has better citrus flavors, and even has some cooling artifacts. Like I said, it's a better tea, without handicaps. The tasting went as follows.

My first attempt was 3 minutes and quite frankly was not impressed. It was very thin and had me wondering if this tea would improve the amount needed to really be good in only 1 minute. But it did, at 4 minute this tea is ready to drink and full of flavor. As mentioned, the citrus and floral flavors and aromas come together to make a wonderful tea. At 5 minutes I detected an ever so slight amount of bitterness but it was there. For me, 4 1/2 minutes was the sweat spot for the first bag. The second bag was closer to the 4 minute mark. So if you have a timer set it to 4 minutes and be ready to enjoy a very good Earl Grey. The color will be a nice dark color, an have plenty of flavor without any bitterness.

As for my stress testing, you can probably guess what happen. Yeah I burnt this tea good. With the tea starting to give hints of bitterness at slightly beyond 5 minutes, 6 minutes had plenty. At the 7 minute mark it was pretty obvious this tea was not made for steeping beyond 5. Which is fine, because the box made it clear where I should have stopped.

Re-Steep?

Catch-22. If you like to re-steep your bagged tea then stop promptly at the 3 minute mark for the first steep then do the same for the second and you'll get two cups of very thin tea. Personally, don't do it. Set the timer for 4 minutes and enjoy a good cup of tea for the first and only steep and if you want another cup, grab a fresh bag.

Final Thoughts

Overall this is a very good tea. It has good color, can be purchased at a good price, the aroma will surprise you and the flavor will have you grabbing for a second bag. The only gripe about is, it's listed as 100% natural tea and not organic. Sadly the word "natural" has been destroyed, overused and down right lied about so I can't give it a perfect rating even if Stash actually used all natural tea and oil. But to be fair, they do have an organic version of this tea listed on their website which I will absolutely review sometime in the future. To end, get out there and sample some for yourself.

----------

EGA's First Theory of Tea Bags : The flavor of bagged tea is inversely proportional to the quality of artwork on the tea bags.

My theory is based upon the notion that the more a company spends time wise on bag aesthetics, the less time they appear to spend on creating good tea.

Arguments, postulates, etc are welcome.   

 

Review #15 - Upton Tea Original Whole Leaf Earl Grey (Loose)

After spending two weeks in a row with bagged teas, it's back to the world of loose leaf. This week we return to another selection from Upton Tea to see if we can find a hidden gem. If you've ever looked through their paper catalog or scanned their website you'd understand this is no simple task. As stated in previous reviews, if there is one thing Upton Tea is known for, it's their beyond huge selection. For this review I purchased a sample pack which comes in their standard foil packs so no pictures of the bag this week, only tea. Now off to the review.

Aroma

Given the foil packaging there was no anticipation of any aroma until the bag was cut opened. So I pulled out the ol' scissors and let the aroma free. Once opened you'll get a slight hint of the blend but to really enjoy it requires a nice deep breath. The aroma is not overpowering but definitely a clean one. According to packaging the tea contains Black Tea and Natural Flavoring. Given the aroma this tea falls into the balanced part of Earl Grey. The aroma doesn't over power the black tea because you can still detect it. A quick visit to the Upton site has a full description and explains why:

Description:   China Black tea base with bergamot flavor. Produced for the British market, this tea has less bergamot than some American counterparts. Ingredients:   black tea, natural flavor Origin:   Germany 

So once again we are being told that the fine folks in Great Britain appear to enjoy their Earl Grey on the lite side. We are also seeing some of the same ambiguity we've seen before when it comes to ingredients. If you've read enough of my reviews you'll know I do not like being in the dark about what I consume. Natural flavor is not an acceptable ingredient listing. Sorry to say but when I see those words (natural flavor) I automatically give the tea some negatives.

Brewing Method

Both the packaging and the website have the following instructions:

Water Temp: 212º (boiling)Steep Time: 4 min. 

I followed their instruction for my first attempt at a taste test. I also (insert broken record disclaimer) tried the tea at 3 and 5 minutes in my typical stress testing way. The results are as follows.


The Results

At the 4 minute mark the color was quite good as can be seen from the picture. The taste on the other hand left me wanting more. Now before you accuse me of trying to mold every form of Earl Grey into a singular ideal, hear me out. This tea was designed to be a bit more subtle and I can respect that. But it lacked depth of flavor. Having a less intense flavor is fine as long as what you produce is good. No one ever complained that a Blush/Rose wine doesn't taste like a Merlot but each can be very good at their own flavor. This version of Earl Grey set out to be subtle and it reaches that goal but it does so in a very plain way. The flavor is there but it's just there. There is no secondary flavors nor do you get any of the cooling flavors I speak of allot. Yes it tastes like Earl Grey but that's all it does. I guess another way of putting it would be, "It's just OK"

So how did the other steeping times go? Well not much better. At the 3 minute mark the flavor was very thin but given the instructions I will not hold that against this tea. At the 5 minute mark I was expecting more then the 4 minute mark but surprisingly it didn't really change all that much. It was blah tea at 4, and it was blah tea at 5.

On my second attempt at a taste testing I obtained almost the same result. Ironically I had some left in one of the glasses from the 1st tasting so I got to try it cold. Strangely it had turned sweeter and wasn't bad even though I'm not a fan of Iced Earl Grey. But in the end the result was the same; a very bland run of the mill tea.

Re-Steep?

Given the results that I got from my first steeping I wasn't expecting nor was I looking forward to tasting this tea after a second steep. Sadly I was right. What little flavor was in the original steep had long since been steeped away leaving only a black tea matching something from a bagged tea. To end, don't waste your time or effort going for a re-steep, it's not worth it.

Final Thoughts

I feel like I've been here before  so here goes. This particular Earl Grey tea was blended to fit a certain need. While I understand that need I still don't feel like this tea is worth suggesting. Between the thin taste and the lack of knowledge with the ingredients it just doesn't add up. Sorry but I cannot suggest this tea to anyone.

Review #14 - Choice Organic Teas Earl Grey

In past reviews I mentioned how some tea bags and boxes present a rather impressive aura given all the time an effort that appears to go into them. Sadly many of these "flashy" brands don't come through where it matters. They continue to use staples to hold their bags and tags together and then provide little to no return in the flavor department. Today's review will thankfully change all that. Enter Choice Organic Teas.What am I talking about? Let me answer those questions by getting to the review.

Aroma

Before I ever broke the wrapping seal on the box, I knew this company was putting their time and effort in the areas that matter. On the front of the box two symbols are clearly shown: USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified. Right off the bat, I'm happy to know what is not in my tea but they take it many steps further. When you turn the box to another side you will also find the NON-GMO Project Verified, Wind Power and Kosher symbols. The NON GMO symbol is a very nice thing to see. If you've been following the news as of late, California recently tried to get their food labeled with regards to GMOs. It didn't pass but that didn't stop Choice from taking the extra step to get their consumers that information. Adding to that, and I'll quote from their box:

We buy wind power to offset all of our electricity use.  

That's right, Choice tries not to pollute. There are many facets to this debate which are clearly outside the boundaries of this blog but isn't it nice to see a company take these steps? That leaves the Kosher sign. With respect to the Jewish people in my audience, I am not Jewish but any time any company wants to provide info on the ingredients, process, or results of their food product, I'm happy to have it. In this case Kosher is not my biggest concern but to those who do use it, there you have it.  Did I ever get the wrap off? Yes.

Yes after reading the box on all four sides I ripped off the wrapper and was met with an abundance of wonderfully fresh aroma. No perfume here, just a nice natural aroma that dissipated as I opened the box and fetched my first bag. 

Speaking about the box and the bag, have no fear Choice has once again made the right decision. I was going to quote their box but I think their site put it better: 

• 100% Biodegradable
• Unbleached, natural fiber, staple-free tea bag
• Individually labeled paper envelope
• 100% recycled, 65% post-consumer content box

So no staples, all biodegradable, and a nice perfume free aroma which means we are off to a good start.

Brewing Method

The box calls for a 4-5 minute steep time so that is what I did. I also tried it at 3mins and of course I did my typical tea torture test by just leaving the bag in the water past it's suggested time. To be fair here is what the box says:

Boil Fresh Water, steep tea bag in 8oz of water for 4-5 minutes and enjoy.

The paper envelope that the bag comes in had the same, just a shorter version of the steeping instructions on it. Always nice to see. 

The Results

The results were very good with one small caveat, let the tea cool a bit. Seriously, to really enjoy this tea don't drink it right after removing the tea bag. Let it sit. I've mentioned this before how teas tend to change as the temperature drops and this tea is the perfect example of that. When I had my first cup right at the 4minute mark I was kinda middle of the road about it. It had a nice color to it and was good but nothing to write home about. So I let it sit a while. That's when the real flavor of the tea came through. The tea balanced out allowing the Bergamot to enter the equation and really add to the flavor. According to both their site and box, the tea is a "blend of Ceylon and Indian blacks....... with essential oil of Italian Bergamot from Calabria". Not knowing anything about Italian city locations I did a search and found out it's located South of Naples on the "toe" of Italy's boot.

I then performed another test at the 5minute mark. Again the tea was just ok immediately after steeping but came alive once it cooled a bit. At the 3minute mark there wasn't as much to discuss so I wouldn't go with my stress testing and stick with their suggestions. As for stress testing, the tea held up pretty well. By pushing it way beyond the 5minute mark I got a touch more flavor but at the expense of "overdone" tea. So like I said, stick with their 4-5 minute steeping time to get the most from this tea.

Re-Steep?

Kinda, sorta, maybe, would be my best answer. If you stop steeping right at the 4 minute mark, you will get a weak second steep but still better then some of my not so good reviews. If you like your tea a bit more flavorful, I'd say forget it. Enjoy that 5 minute steep and if you want another cup, don't settle, you're gonna add fresh water anyway so you might as well drop a new bag in there. 

Final Thoughts

This tea is not perfect but at the price I picked it up for, ($4.99us a box) you can't go wrong. Just keep in mind not to start drinking right after steeping and you will be pleasantly surprised how much this tea improves as it cools. So I guess my last words are, Choice teas makes a good Earl Grey for those with patience. Enjoy.

Note: After spending more time at their site I found they have 2 other versions of Earl Grey. A Pyramid bag and loose. Will have to keep those in mind for future reviews.

Review #13 - Ridgways of London - Earl Grey Tea Bagged

Have you ever been in a store that sells one thing and you end up finding something you never thought the store sold? Well that's exactly what happen to me. While walking through a discount store I found a bunch of brand name bagged teas. Many by a certain company that I haven't reviewed yet that happens to rhyme with ton, and that's where I found today's Ridgways tea. So, did I find some unique and wonderful buried tea treasure? Or was there a reason this tea was being sold by a store not normally associated with tea? Lets find out.

Aroma

Before we begin, Ridgway must have used the same box maker as Ahmad because just like them, the box is filled with many, many languages. It's so crowded on the box, the brewing instructions never appear in English words, only pictures. Which is kind of strange when you consider the source of the tea is London, a properly spoken English nation. Go figure.

So I grabbed a bag, and did an aroma test to see if anything was getting through the wrapper. Nothing was apparent so I opened the bag and took a deep breath. And then I took another. That's when I checked the box again and found this:

A full bodied Fairtrade black tea with a light bergamot citrus note

Ok, we've been here before. Not all teas present themselves strongly in the aroma department so I took the bag out and immediately noticed the biggest thorn in my tea bagged side; staples. Yes I was happy to see the tea was sourced in a way that all parties are paid fairly. No, I am never happy to see metal on my tea bags and as a result give negatives marks to the packaging. I then got back to testing the aroma. This time with nothing blocking the scent I gave a good inhale and waited. And waited. And waited some more. I understand that the makers of this tea have used the word light but there is light, and then there is really light. This tea falls into the really, really light aroma area. To be honest this might just be the lightest scented tea I've reviewed so far.

Brewing Method

As mentioned before, the box and the bag have a three circle pictorial on how to properly brew this tea. Simply put: boiling water, brew for 3 minutes, enjoy. And I quote:

Best enjoyed without milk and with a slice of lemon 

I will add that I performed my typical stress test on this tea by also steeping for 4, 5 and beyond minutes to see and taste the result. 

The Results

When I started this blog I was so looking forward to tasting all these wonderfully mixed and blended teas. I thought it would be a unique experience and everything would be great. Boy was I wrong. Remember the whole part about me "finding" this tea and a bunch of others? Well part of that find was the price, only $2.00 a box. That should have been my first sign that something was wrong. Because to be perfectly blunt, I did not enjoy this tea at all. Let me explain.

I started by following all their directions and steeped my first cup at 3 minutes. It was thin, shallow and lacked any form of Earl Grey taste. Making it worse, it wasn't even good black tea. So I began the stress test. 4 minutes provided no relief. 5 minutes and things started, very slowly, to improve. It wasn't until 10minutes that I finally, and quite forcefully, extracted any semblance of Earl Grey out of this tea. But at that time I had burnt it and it now presented a really bad after taste. 

So I grabbed the box to see if I had indeed purchased an out of date box. I thought I had checked it at the store and but I wanted to be sure; 2015 was the date listed. So I tried again, this time trying the tea at each of the above intervals only to get the same poor flavor. Then I let the 3 minute tea cool a bit in hopes of finding something redeemable about this tea. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be, I still disliked this tea, maybe even more so then the first time. I'm sorry if I sound really negative about this tea but this is by far the worse Earl Grey I've reviewed to date. Trust me, I'm hoping and praying this will be the bottom of the barrel because to be honest if there is another tea out there worse then this one, I hope I never taste it. 

Re-Steep?

I didn't like this tea with its first steep so it came as no surprise to me when the re-steep provided nothing. I guess what I'm saying is this: don't do it. 

Final Thought

Given all the versions of Earl Grey that I have reviewed so far both in bags and in loose form, there should be no reason to ever drink this tea. Period.